Artificial leg.



J. A. LONG.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.18, 1909.

Patented Aug. 2,1910.

v Ja/mes Aim/2y Am I I. I

arrow JAMES A. LONG, 01? FLAIR MOUNT, GEQRGIA.

ARTIFICIAL LEG;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910;

Application filed December 18, 1909. Serial No. 533,788.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, JAMEs A. LONG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fair Mount, in the county of Gordon and State of Georgia,have invented new and useful Improvements in Artificial Legs, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to artificial legs, the object of the inventionbeing to provide a limb of this character which will be comfortable inuse and possess substantial features of merit over prior devices of itskind in point of simplicity of construction and inexpensiveness ofproduction.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of an artificial leg embodying my invention, showing a shoeapplied to the foot portion thereof and partially broken awayto exposesaid foot por-.

tion. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal front to rear section throughthe leg. Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal transverse sections on the lines33 and M of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the upper leg section, 2 thelower leg section and 3 the foot portion or foot section of the limb.

The section 1 is hollow to receive the stump of the leg of the wearerand is shaped to correspond substantially in contour thereto. It ispreferably made of leather or other suitable material possessingdurability and a suflicient degree of flexibility. In practice, it iscontemplated to make said section 1 of leather, the outer surface ofwhich is varnished or otherwise treated to render it water proof. Propershape may be given the section 1 in any preferred manner, and as shownthe upper front portion of said section is provided with a longitudinalslit 1, the meeting edges of which are connected by a lacing thong 5, bywhich said leg sec tion may be contracted to snugly fit the limb of thewearer and retain its position thereon.

The lower leg section 2 fits within the lower end of the upper legsection 1 and comprises a block tapered downwardly and forming a rigidsupport for the lower extremity of the upper leg section. The upper legsection is secured to the block or lower leg section by fastenings 6,which preferably pass through pairs of oppositely arranged metallicreinforcing strips 7 which strengthen the fastenings at their point ofconnection and reinforce the lower portion of the upper leg section. Inthe block is formed a cavity 8 opening through the top thereof, whichcavity lightens the block and at the same time serves to afiordventilation; at its lower end the cavity is in communication with ductsor passages 9 leading therefrom transversely through the block and lowerportion of the upper leg section.

The lower end of the section 2 is provided with front and rear roundedcontact shoulders 10 and 11 and a centrally depending tapered tang orextension 12, which latter projects downward into a vertical opening 13in the rear portion of the foot section 3 and is pivotally mountedtherein on a transverse pin 14L, which may be removed when it is desiredfor repairs or other purposes. The tang or extension 12 is freelymovable from front to rear in the opening 13 and has its lower portionreinforced by a V-shaped wear strip- 15 which lines the front and rearsurfaces thereof. The shoulders 10 and 11 are adapted to abut againstthe upper extremities of spring strips 16 and 17- which are countersunkin recesses in the upper end of the foot portion 3 and nailed orotherwise suitably secured thereto. The free ends of these spring stripsproject downwardly into the opening 13 in front and rear of the tang 12and bear against the wear strip thereof to yieldingly retain the legportion of the device as a whole in a vertical position and permit thesame to have a yielding articulating movement on the foot portion. Bythis construction a yielding joint of an efficient character is providedin a simple manner and without the use of cumbersome connections.

In practice, it will be understood that a shoe 18 is fitted upon thefoot section 3 in the usual manner, and the upper leg section 1 securedto the limb of the wearer, the pivotal connection between the lower legsection and foot portion permitting the artificial limb to bearticulated to closely simulate the movements of a natural limb. Theupper leg section, may of course, be lined with any suitable cushioningmaterial to prevent chafing of the limb of the wearer, and by theconstruction described it will be seen that ample ventilation isafforded to secure comfort, while disassociation of the parts forrepairs or other purposes is readily permitted. I

I claim An artificial limb comprising an upper hollow leg section, alower leg section secured thereto and provided with a depending taperingextension, a foot portion having an opening in which said extension ispivotally mounted, and leaf springs secured at their upper ends to thefoot portion and l depending convergently into said opening, saidsprings being arranged to bear against the inclined front and rear edgesof said tapered extension to limit the pivotal movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAlVIES A. LONG. lVitnesses ISAAC GRANT, Rosoon PICKETT.

